DIARY : Oct. 23

Time to play catch-up again. Is it just me, or is time speeding up?

Grand Rapids : I never applied for the job. When I got around to looking it up and researching the position I realized that for some reason I had been visualizing St. Cloud. That would have been a large system not too far from the Twin Cities. But Grand Rapids is a small town and a small library up near Duluth. A position there would never go anywhere within that library. It would have been much like Oneonta - a director, a reference librarian, a children's librarian, maybe a cataloger, and some part-time staff. I decided a move would not be in my best interests. I still have 15 years at least before retirement, and I don't plan to still be in an entry level job. The trouble is that most jobs above entry level are filled from within. Better to stay here and hope for something else to open up. Something where there is room to move upward.

And by now it has - I've applied for two positions within the Hennepin County system. One is a full-time cataloger. Okay, it's been 8 years since my last cataloging position, but on the other hand I have experience with music cataloging and with languages, both of which were mentioned in the job announcement. The other position is for a part-time librarian at Plymouth. Although it would be part-time, Hennepin County provides full health insurance for their part-time people. It would be slightly more hours than what I have with Carver County, and probably slightly higher pay as well. For that matter, perhaps it would be possible to keep the Carver County job, if we could work out which days where. If not, then I would still be on the subbing list for Carver County and could supplement hours that way.

As long as I'm talking about career stuff, here is part of my weekly email horoscope that came today:

"Jupiter will be moving into the career zone of your chart on Tuesday, LAUREL, which ushers in a new era of luck. Jupiter will remain in Scorpio for a year from this time. So make the best use of these influences to get ahead with your plans. Whether you want to start your own business, or try a whole new area of endeavor, you have the cosmos behind you. But you also need to put in the effort to make it work, as you are probably aware. So start making contact with relevant companies to get that interview or promotion. Neptune turns direct in your sign, which may help you to focus and regain your sense of perspective after a very confusing few months. You will have a better chance of manifesting your vision rather than being confused about what it actually is."

The validity of these kinds of horoscopes aside, I'll take all the positive messages (and luck) I can get! The two job listings close on Monday. It has been a confusing few months, and I could use some new clarity going into potential job interviews. I did recently pass my 6-month probation at Waconia with flying colors. The email class is ready to go, and it is scheduled for Friday with one person signed up. The children's librarian will be on maternity leave imminently, giving me some extra hours at least through the end of the year. And the subbing budget is looking slightly improved for next year.

About a digital camera: heh heh this has manifested itself already. Within a week of posting that I wanted one, my father emailed to say that he had bought himself a new one, and would I like to have his old one? It is perhaps not what I would have bought for myself, but it is a good camera, and I am enjoying learning how to use it. It won't replace my Canon Rebel, but it will be just the thing for getting good pictures of the beaded flowers, taking on trips, and taking lots of pictures of the cats trying to get just the right pose. Perhaps one of these days I will even figure out how to add pictures to this blog.

Speaking of my father, he gave us a bit of a scare by having another heart attack a little over two weeks ago. Fortunately, he was attended quickly and there was no heart damage. A new stent was put in, and he was back home within 3 days. It was a much more matter-of-fact occurrence than the first one 7 years ago. I would have preferred a LITTLE more information than my mother's email "Dad's home. We're fine."

About Alice: I wrote another long letter to her last month, hoping to reconnect. So far no reply. I do not know if she is even getting my letters, although nothing has been returned as undeliverable. So I wait and hope.